In The Foreign Policy Auction: Foreign Lobbying in America, Freeman unpacks the ways in which governments from around the world attempt to use finance capital to ensure that the sausage factory on Capitol Hill churns out American foreign policy in their favor. The book is unrelentingly thorough, engaging, and sober. “There is no arch-villain here,” Freeman warns at the start, “no dark lord, no one to unmask at the end of the show. There are only politicians seeking reelection, lobbyists seeking more revenue, and foreign governments competing for influence over the most influential government the world has ever known.”

Thanks to the FireDogLake crew for letting me host this book salon. First, an introduction: I write UN Dispatch, a blog about the global affairs sponsored by the United Nations Foundation. I also host a weekly show on Blogging Heads called UN Plaza in which my guests and I discuss topical global issues.